Background: A retrospective study was carried out with all the cases of traumatic dislocation of the knee joint treated in our institution between 1988 and 1998.
Methods: In most cases (81%), the dislocation was reduced under general anesthesia and early surgical repair of damaged structures was performed as each case required. In five cases, the treatment was conservative because of associated skeletal and visceral injuries that made immediate surgery inadvisable.
Results: Peroneal nerve palsy (23%) and popliteal artery disruption (7.5%) were the most frequent early complications. The most common sequelae were instability (85%) and limp (50%). Early operative repair of all damaged structures was associated with the best functional result (55%). Nonoperative treatment was associated with 100% unsatisfactory results, and these patients are waiting for a second operation to treat the sequelae.
Conclusion: Operative treatment makes possible the recovery of structures that provide enough stability to perform day-to-day activities in the majority of cases.